Sanitary products are widely used in various formats for personal hygiene and medical necessity, and include sanitary napkins, diapers, incontinence guards, wound dressings and the like. By their use, a local tissue environment is produced which promotes growth of microbial pathogens, local infections, irritation, rashes, and related problems.
In addition, disposal of used sanitary products is a major environmental and health care concern. The volume of material and the type of material present in the used sanitary product, due to its absorbent character and purpose of collecting body fluids and waste materials, provides a biological and environmental hazard in disposal of used sanitary products. There is a great need for improvements in biodegradation of used sanitary products: degradation of both the product itself and the waste product it contains.
The present invention uses a bacterium that is probiotic and heterotrophic to resolve both of the above problems: to inhibit microbial infections associated with use of sanitary products, and to promote biodegradation of the sanitary product after use.
Probiotic agents are organisms that confer a benefit when they grow in a particular environment, often by inhibiting the growth of other microbial organisms in the same environment. Examples of probiotics include bacteria and bacteriophages which can grow and displace or destroy pathogens and provide other benefits to the host organism (Salminen et al, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 70 (2–4): 347–358, 1996; Elmer et al, JAMA, 275:870–876, 1996; Rafter, Scand. J. Gastroenterol., 30:497–502, 1995; Perdigon et al, J. Dairy Sci., 78:1597–1606, 1995; Gandi, Townsend Lett. Doctors & Patients, pp. 108–110, January 1994; Lidbeck et al, Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 1:341–353, 1992).
The nutritional use of probiotic bacteria, especially Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains, that colonize the gut has been previously disclosed (Winberg et al, Pediatr. Nephrol. 7:509–514, 1993; Malin et al, Ann. Nutr. Metab. 40:137–145, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,911).
Lactic acid producing bacteria (e.g., Bacillus, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus species) have been used as food additives and there have been some claims that they provide nutritional and therapeutic value (Gorbach, Ann. Med. 22:37–41, 1990; Reid et al, Clin. Microbiol. Rev., 3:335–344, 1990).
Heterotrophic bacteria play an important role in the biodegradation of animal waste and many natural and synthetic polymers. Bacterial strains including Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Achromobacter, Micrococcus and Rhodococcus have been shown to participate in the breakdown of waste products, cellulose materials, petroleum hydrocarbons and their associated products, such as plastics, synthetic rubbers and other synthetic materials.
Bacillus coagulans is a non-pathogenic gram positive spore-forming bacteria that produces L(+) lactic acid (dextrorotatory) in homofermentation conditions. It has been isolated from natural sources, such as heat-treated soil samples inoculated into nutrient medium (Bergey's Manual of Systemic Bacteriology, Vol. 2, Sneath, P.H.A. et al., eds., Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Md., 1986). Purified B. coagulans strains have served as a source of enzymes including endonucleases (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,336), amylase (U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,180), lactase (U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,651) and cyclo-malto-dextrin glucano-transferase (U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,800). B. coagulans has been used to produce lactic acid (U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,164). A strain of B. coagulans (referred to as L. sporogenes Sakaguti & Nakayama (ATCC 31284)) has been combined with other lactic acid producing bacteria and B. natto to produce a fermented food product from steamed soybeans (U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,477).
Use of a sanitary product produces frequent dermal mucoidal irritations and/or infections associated with the use of the product. Diaper rash is a common issue in both adults and infants. Rashes can become more serious irritations when opportunistic pathogens introduced into the sanitary product germinate and cause infections on these irritated sites. In addition, vulva-vaginal infections are common with the use of napkins and tampons and are typically caused by Candida or Gardnerella species, e.g. Candida albicans and C. tropicalis. Toxic Shock Syndrome and other dermal infections caused by Staphylococcal bacteria, e.g. Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis are also common. Other pathogens which can cause infection after brief periods of dermal irritation and/or use of sanitary products include Trichophyton species, e.g. T. mentagrophytes 
In addition, disposable diapers and other sanitary products present environmental problems in their disposal. Sanitary landfills are overused and accumulate excessive amounts of disposed products. Sanitary products such as diapers, sanitary napkins and tampons biodegrade slowly and occupy considerable space due to the bulk of these products, particularly when containing body excrements or fluids which expand due to their absorbent polymer content.